


Answer

by kishidanchougoroshi



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Friendship/Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-14 19:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15395901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kishidanchougoroshi/pseuds/kishidanchougoroshi
Summary: Free Style Gallery had just opened its branch in Tokyo, giving Jun more chance to visit and choose his favorite artworks. Unfortunately, he was involved in an accident on his first visit to the gallery, which led him to find the true identity of the mysterious artist…





	Answer

“Nino, look at this,” Jun handed the magazine to his friend who lazily took it from him.

“What am I suppose to look at?” Nino asked, giving the magazine back to Jun.

“This,” Jun pointed at the article at the end of the page which was written inside a small box. It was almost hidden by the main article about the newly opened museum in Okinawa.

Nino took the magazine again and narrowed his eyes to read the article. “The Free Style Gallery will be opening in Tokyo this month, following the success of its first branch in Nagano.”

“Good news for me, a very good news,” Jun said, smiling at Nino. His friend gave him a questioning look and then shook his head.

“Don’t tell me that you’ll buy more painting from that gallery,” Nino said, looking around the wall. “We’re running out of space.”

“Well,” Jun replied, following Nino’s gaze. “Those paintings are my lucky charm, Nino. Our sale increases every time I buy the new work from that gallery.”

“Look,” Nino said with a more serious tone. “You’re too obsessed with that unknown painter, J. Our shop is fine, even without those paintings. We have enough of decoration, if you add more paintings on this wall, it’ll be over-decorated and I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Nino left him towards the kitchen without waiting for Jun’s answer; they would open the shop in a few minutes. It was Friday, which meant there would be more customers visited their shop. Jun and Nino opened a small coffee shop near Ikebukuro station. It was Jun’s dream since he was in high school, he took a short course to learn how to become a barista and that was when he met Nino. It was a coincidence that Nino possessed the same dream. Two years later, they finally could open the shop which they named ‘Sugar’.

Jun glanced once again at the magazine, to the article of Free Style Gallery. He knew the manager of this gallery, a man named Sakurai Sho. Jun had met him every time he visited the gallery in Nagano to purchase the paintings. Perhaps, Nino was right that he was too obsessed with the mysterious artist. The artist never revealed his name, let alone appeared on TV or magazine, Sakurai did all the promotion and sale on his behalf.

Jun loved art and he was strangely attached to the paintings from Free Style Gallery. He had bought four so far and proudly used them as the decoration on the wall of the shop. He went all the way to Nagano to buy a single painting which price couldn’t be considered as cheap. Every time he did that, Nino would raise his brows in disagreement and jokingly tell Jun that he had been tricked by the unknown dark magic in those paintings.

He closed the magazine and put it on the shelf before flipping the ‘closed’ sign to ‘open’ and joined Nino in the kitchen.

***

Free Style Gallery was opened at the end of June; when the rainy season finally over. It was located in Kagurazaka, in one of the slopping streets with so many cafes and coffee shops on either side. The gallery was sandwiched between a souvenir shop and a café. Jun wiped the sweat on his forehead as he walked under the bright sun, it was still nine in the morning, but the temperature was so hot that literally melt him down.

As he approached the gallery, he could see Sakurai through the glass window, he was explaining one of the paintings to a potential buyer. Jun could understand why the owner of the free style hired someone like Sakurai. He was very good in convincing people; some even bought the painting without intending to do so at the beginning.

Jun entered the gallery, the cool air from newly installed air conditioner hit his skin. He inserted the handkerchief into his tote bag and stepped to the narrow space of the gallery where most of the paintings were displayed. Sakurai was still busy serving the other customer; he recognized Jun when he entered and gestured to him to wait until he finished. Jun didn’t mind, since he loved observing the paintings as long as he could.

The newest collection of the paintings carried the same theme; they were all portrayed the beauty of the sea. The canvasses were painted in pretty blue color which gave fresh nuance; a perfect color for summer. Jun was looking closely at the most attractive painting with a portrait of a man looking the sea from the top a rock, when someone dropped a heavy object just above his toes.

It was too fast that Jun couldn’t analyze what was happening; he saw a glimpse of a man with brown hair who suddenly came from the opposite direction of the gallery, he felt something hit his bare foot, some stinky liquid smeared his shirt and the last thing he knew was he fell down to the floor. The next second, he felt unpleasant pain on his right foot.

“I’m so sorry, are you hurt?”

Jun heard a voice from the man who also fell down to the floor, but at least he wasn’t bathed in the liquid which Jun recognized as the paint. He managed to answer, but the strong smell of the spilled paint hindered him from breathing. He coughed and tried to stand, but the pain on his right toe was unbearable.

“What is happening here?” Jun heard Sakurai’s surprised voice. 

“I slipped,” the brown-haired man murmured. “I don’t get used to this slippery floor, Sho-kun.”

“Are you okay?” Sakurai asked Jun who grimaced in pain.

“I think I broke some bones,” Jun replied, examining his foot which was bleeding. It was a complete unfortunate for him that he only wore sandals. A pair of beach sandals Nino bought for him last summer which lay a few inches from Jun’s foot in a sad condition.

“I’m so sorry, Sir,” the man apologized again and this time, Jun could his face clearly.

The man’s eyes were barely opened as if he hadn’t slept for days; his brown hair was sticking everywhere and his skin was so tanned. He was also bathed in paint, but not as bad as Jun.

“We have to get you to the doctor,” Sakurai said, glancing at the sleepy man with a frown on his lips. “Can you stand up?” he asked Jun.

Jun tried to get off of the floor, but his toes was too hurt. Sakurai hurriedly took a chair for him meanwhile the sleepy man helped him to sit down. Even in his pain, Jun still admired the man’s strength when he supported Jun’s weight to prevent him from losing his balance.

“I’ll take him to the clinic, Sho-kun,” the sleepy man said to Sakurai. “There is one at the end of the street.”

“I can go there by myself,” Jun said, grimacing from pain. He looked at the painting on the wall, feeling relieve that the paint didn’t spill all over these artworks. “It’s lucky that none of the paintings are affected,” he said to Sakurai.

“You shouldn’t think about it, I’ll call a cab,” he said and disappeared towards the door, leaving Jun with the awkward sleepy-man beside him.

“Sorry for this,” the sleepy man apologized again.

“Can you do something to clean my face off this damn thing?” Jun asked, hoping that he didn’t look like a clown with blue paint liquid on his face. 

“Oh,” the sleepy man said as if just realized that Jun was covered in liquid. “Wait a moment.”

He came back with a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and it was even stingier than the paint, but Jun had no choice than accepting his destiny. He let the man clean up his face and took a clean towel to cover Jun’s bleeding foot. When he was done, Sakurai entered the gallery and announced that the taxi had arrived.

“I can go by myself, you don’t need to accompany me,” Jun said, rising from the chair and intending to walk towards the exit, but his right leg won’t move.

“Don’t be stupid,” the man moved quickly to support him and once again Jun felt an incredible strength albeit the man’s skinny figure. Jun averted his gaze away, it was such a terrible day for him. He was looking forward for this day and it was ruined by a clumsy-weird-sleepy cleaning service guy of the gallery. He concentrated his weight to his left leg and with the support of the sleepy-man, they got in to the cab.

“My name’s Ohno,” the man introduced himself out of the blue as they sat down on the passenger’s seat of the taxi. 

“Whatever,” Jun replied coldly. He should have thanked the man, but he was too angry right now. He was bathed in paint from head to toes and his foot was throbbing like hell; it was the last thing Jun could imagine happened to him on his first visit to Free Style Gallery.

“I’ll pay for the hospital bill,” Ohno said as the taxi departed.

Jun didn’t answer; it went without saying for Ohno to pay for the hospital bill along with taking responsibility for Jun’s clothe. But Jun was too upset to say something, he still couldn’t believe it happened to him. How could he explain to Nino that he had to work with crutches from tomorrow onwards? Furthermore, he had to cancel his plan for hiking this weekend; he grimaced as he remembered that the hiking fee was unreturnable and it wasn’t cheap either.

The taxi reached the ICU a few minutes later; two young nurses hurried to Jun and helped him to the moving bed.

“You don’t need to accompany me,” Jun told Ohno.

The man stayed where he was and watched as the nurses pushed the bed towards the ICU room. The doctor who took care of Jun was a young man who introduced himself as Koizumi; he told the nurse to help Jun cleaning his face and this time, they did it properly and without stinky liquid.

Koizumi, meanwhile, performed Rontgen on Jun and told him that his toe was broken.

“It’s not that bad,” the doctor said. “You only broke a few minor bones, it will be healed in three months.”

“I can’t believe it, I have to go hiking this weekend, Doctor,” Jun said stubbornly.

“I understand your feeling, but all you need is taking a rest,” Koizumi replied with a smile on his lips.

Jun looked at his toe which was wrapped tightly in bandage. Koizumi gave him check-up schedule and wished him to get well soon before sending Jun home.

Ohno was waiting outside; his hand was holding a paper bag with ‘Versace’ sign on it. The nurse who pushed Jun’s wheelchair thought that Ohno was Jun’s company, she approached Ohno and explained Jun’s condition before he could say anything.

Ohno nodded and thanked the nurse, he offered to push the wheelchair instead, ignoring Jun’s protest.

“It’s for you, no laundry will accept clothes with paint all over it, so it’s better for me to buy you a new one,” Ohno said while putting the paper bag on Jun’s lap.

“Wait, wait, Versace?” Jun asked, lifting the bag and showing it to Ohno, confirming that the man didn’t take the wrong item.

“That’s the closest I could find around here. Sorry.”

Jun averted his gaze from Ohno to the Versace sign on the bag; whether Ohno was too stupid that he couldn’t distinguish the most expensive brand in the world or he had too much money that buying a Versace shirt wasn’t a big deal. The first possibility seemed more likely; Ohno didn’t look like a filthy rich guy. What kind of rich guy carried a paint can everywhere?

“I didn’t ask for it,” Jun said, feeling so disturbed with his own speculation about Ohno.

“You didn’t, but I have messed your shirt, so…”

“I can’t have it,” Jun cut the man impatiently. “You already paid for the hospital bill, I can’t receive something like this from a stranger.”

“Technically, you’re not a stranger to Free Style Gallery,” Ohno said, smiling for the first time.

The smile was innocent and sincere, as if Ohno never spilled any paint on Jun’s face and never dropped a heavy can on his toe.

“I never saw you before,” Jun answered. “Are you a new employee?” he asked. He forgot his grudge towards this guy for a while as he remembered his visits to the gallery. Sakurai was the only guy he met. Perhaps Ohno was a newly hired manager or something alike, but a manager should have dressed like Sakurai – with suit and tie – not a dull T-shirt with too much dirt on it.

Ohno thought for a while before answering, “Sort of.”

The answer was blur, but it was none of Jun’s concern. Ohno resumed pushing the wheelchair towards the lobby and called for a taxi.

“I’ll accompany you back,” Ohno said.

“You don’t need to, I can find my way home,” Jun heard himself said.

“Walking with crutches need some practice, you’ll stumble on your feet and will break another bone,” Ohno argued while taking a pair of crutches from the nurse.

Jun raised his brow; Ohno’s way of talking was somehow convincing and there was a commanding nuance in it which made Jun agree in the end. He found himself sitting awkwardly inside the cab with Ohno beside him again. He mentioned his address to the driver and leaned his head to the seat.

He fished his phone from his jeans pocket and found two miscalled from Nino. The guy had sent a message, telling Jun that he was in their shop at the moment to interview a man who applied for part time job.

Jun hurriedly gave Nino a phone call, telling him that he would be late and left the interview in Nino’s hand. He didn’t explain the accident because he didn’t want Nino to freak out – he would be freak out after all once Jun appeared in front of their shop with a pair of crutches and paint all over his clothes.

“You own a shop?” Ohno asked when Jun ended the call.

Jun nodded. “A small coffee shop, I run it with my friend,” he added. His anger had gone, perhaps he was too exaggerated everything. It was an accident after all.

“I should invite Sho-kun to visit, he loves coffee very much,” Ohno said with the same innocent smile he gave Jun before.

“Sure, nobody will spill a paint on you in our shop,” Jun said with sarcasm, but Ohno took it as a joke since he chuckled amusingly.

“I take it as a forgiveness,” Ohno said. “I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done.”

“Will Sakurai-san fire you for endangering a customer?”

Ohno rubbed his chin, “Maybe,” he said.

“He should give me 50% discount next time,” Jun mumbled.

“Do you like paintings that much?” Ohno asked.

“Yes,” Jun answered immediately. “I love art works and the paintings from Free Style Gallery are my favorite. The way the artist drew them is one of a kind, the paintings always have something details and the more I look at it, the more I find something new inside it. They’re like magic, you know,” Jun unconsciously smiled; he was always in high tension every time he explained about the paintings he got from Free Style. He was addicted to them in the strangest way possible; perhaps Nino was right that he was caught by some kind of magic power.

“Mmmm,” Ohno nodded. “The artist must be glad to hear your compliment.”

“He never makes public appearance, though,” Jun said. “I’m afraid that he’s an old man or woman with strange fashion. I mean Yayoi Kusama has unique fashion.”

Ohno chuckled, “Perhaps you’re right.”

“Haven’t you met the artist?”

Ohno shook his head. He was about to say something else when the taxi stopped, they have arrived in front of Jun’s shop.

Ohno helped Jun getting off the taxi and handed him the crutches. “I can accompany you for the upcoming checkups,” the man said.

“I know the way to the hospital, Ohno-san. Thanks for taking me all the way here and thanks for this,” Jun lifted the Versace bag.

“My pleasure,” Ohno said. “I have to go back, I’ll tell Sho-kun to give you discount for your next purchase.”

“Thanks,” Jun answered. He watched Ohno as he entered the taxi, the man waved at Jun until the car turned left on the first venue.

Jun looked at the Versace bag and shook his head; today was perhaps the weirdest day in his life. He carefully stepped towards the entrance of his shop and found Nino was one of the tables, typing something on his laptop.

“Welcome ba…what the fuck is happening?!”

Nino’s reaction was exactly like what Jun have imagined. He helped Jun to sit down and took care of the crutches.

“What happened?” he asked again with worried tone.

“Accident,” Jun said, not knowing where to start.

“Did you try to run away after stealing that?” Nino asked, pointing at the Versace bag on the table with suspicious gaze.

“Worse than that,” Jun said. He explained the accident briefly to Nino, when he finished, his friend gave him a disbelieving look.

“And that guy bought you Versace?” he confirmed.

Jun nodded. “I think he has no idea what Versace is.”

“That’s the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard,” Nino shook his head.

“Forget about the Versace,” Jun said. “I will not be able to work with this toe.”

“Nobody forces you to work with that condition,” Nino rolled his eyes. “We will get a help anyway.”

He returned his attention to his laptop and showed the screen to Jun. “I’ve just made a note about the guy I’ve interviewed today. His name is Aiba Masaki, he seems nice and a hard worker. I think we should hire him.”

“If you said so,” Jun took a brief glance to Aiba’s profile – to a smiling picture of him which showed a positive vibe, something that made people trust him.

“He can work as soon as possible, I can only work at the kitchen with this condition,” Jun said.

“Don’t be stupid, J.” Nino shook his head. “I can handle the shop, take a rest.”

“I’ll die from boredom if I have to stay in my room the whole day,” Jun growled.

Nino gave him a don’t-mess-up-with-your-health look and heaved a deep sigh. He had known Jun for years; he had enough experience in handling Jun’s stubbornness and he always chose to let Jun do what he liked in the end.

“Don’t overwork yourself or I’ll burn that Versace,” he threatened.

Jun laughed. Nino always had something funny to say and he always succeed in boosting Jun’s mood. They talked about tomorrow’s preparation, including calling Aiba to inform him that he could start working the next day.

Their flat was above the shop, there were only stairs which forced Jun to use his ass to climb them. Nino laughed at him amusingly.

“Good night, J,” Nino said, closing Jun’s door. “Call me if you need anything from downstairs.”

“I’m fine,” Jun smiled at his friend.

He fished the Versace shirt from its bag as Nino closed the door. It was the latest arrival, with soft blue color and simple pattern. Jun touched the soft cloth and doubted that Ohno didn’t know about this brand. Perhaps he was too desperate in finding a replacement for Jun’s shirt.

Jun quickly took a shower, trying hard to keep his toe off of water. He changed to pajamas and lay down on the bed. His muscles ached everywhere and he just realized how tired he was. He closed his eyes and dozed off in no time. 

***

“J, stay upstairs,” Nino said with fierce gaze as Jun tried to climb down to their shop the next morning.

“I only broke minor bones, Nino,” Jun argued. “I still can brew coffee or sit down behind the cashier desk, don’t worry too much about me.”

Nino rolled his eyes in annoyance; “I’ll step over that toe to make you suffer then,” he said.

Jun laughed and carefully climbed down the stairs; he no longer crawled on his ass this time. He poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Nino.

“You’re still act the mother hen with that toe,” Nino said, taking the cup from the tray.

“You’re welcome,” Jun replied, smiling. “I can’t let my business partner starve because of his lack of attention at his own healthy.”

“Coffee doesn’t count, though,” Nino said while carefully sipping the coffee.

They ate sandwiches from yesterday for breakfast and started the preparation to open the shop. The supply for the cakes usually come at eight in the morning; Jun waited for it while watching Nino clean the tables.

“That’s our new employee,” he told Jun when a man approached the glass door and pushed it open.

“Sorry, I’m late, there’s a little trouble on the subway,” he explained.

“We’re just started,” Nino waved it off. “Please meet my colleague, Matsumoto Jun. You can call him J, he likes it or whatever preferable for you. He broke his toe yesterday, so he can’t charm the ladies with that face for the time being because he needs to stay at the kitchen.”

“Thanks for the nice introduction, Nino,” Jun said. “Nice to meet you, Aiba-san and please don’t trust a single thing Nino said about me, he’s the one who charms the ladies.”

“If you said so,” Nino shrugged and smiled to Aiba.

“Nice to meet you, Matsumoto-san,” Aiba replied, bowing slightly at Jun.

Aiba was tall and slim; his bangs fell naturally on his forehead, his smile reminded Jun of a young enthusiastic boy.

“Nino will tell you what to do, he’s a nice mentor,” Jun said, glancing at Nino who shook his head.

The day passed like usual and Jun was glad that Aiba worked so efficiently. He had chats with the customers and Jun could see that a few of middle aged women were drown to his handsome feature.

They were about to close when two men got off the taxi in front of the shop. Jun had left the kitchen to tell Nino that they were running off milk stock when the taxi arrived. He recognized the two men immediately, he glanced at Nino who usually made a harsh comment towards late customers, but he was occupied with Aiba this time who was telling him some old jokes.

The one who wore suit pushed the door open, followed by Ohno whose worn-out T-shirt was stained with something looked like paint, what a weird combination, Jun thought as he welcomed them. 

“Good evening, Sakurai-san, Ohno-san,” Jun greeted them. He never thought that Ohno would visit this soon.

“Sorry for coming this late,” Sakurai apologized, glancing at Ohno who chose to observe the shop’s interior.

“No worries, customers are our priority, please take a seat,” Jun said, gesturing to them to sit down.

“Is your toe alright?” Sakurai asked.

“I only broke minor bones, not a big problem,” Jun replied. He took a seat beside Sakurai and told the man to look at the menu. “Sorry, I can’t stand up for a long time, it’s still throbbing.”

Ohno joined them, he offered a smile at Jun and praised the interior. “You have an originality.”

“Thanks,” Jun replied to the man. “What can I get for you?” he asked.

Sakurai mentioned his order along with Ohno, even though the latter didn’t say anything. Jun passed it to Nino and resumed the talk with the two men, even though he mostly talked with Sakurai since Ohno chose to stay silent all the time. 

Both of them left twenty minutes later. Nino collected the cups and glanced at Jun with weird gaze.

“You’re blushing,” he said.

“I’m not,” Jun cupped his own cheeks under his palms. “Why would I?”

“I don’t know, they’re quite handsome after all,” Nino replied.

Jun didn’t reply, he particularly didn’t feel something special about Sakurai and Ohno’s visit. They apologized deeply for the accident and wished Jun to get well soon. What bothered him was Ohno’s silent observation. The man was listening to his and Sakurai’s talk, but Jun could feel his gaze on him. When Jun turned to the man; he gave him the innocent smile, just like the previous day when he accompanied Jun to the hospital.

***

Jun’s check-up schedule was on Thursday afternoon; he headed the hospital by taxi after having lunch. He only needed one crutch to support his balance since his toe wasn’t that hurt. He was about to enter the hospital lobby when someone’s voice called his name.

“Jun-kun!”

He turned quickly to the caller and saw Ohno was approaching him. He wore a simple navy-blue T-shirt with short pants. A baseball cap was decorating his head. Nobody called Jun with ‘Jun-kun’ for ages and he was kind of pleased when he heard Ohno called his name. 

“Ohno-san, what are you doing here?” Jun asked.

“Accompanying you,” he said as if it was the most ordinary thing to do.

“I don’t…I’m fine,” Jun couldn’t find the right words to describe that he didn’t need the man’s presence on his check-up.

“Don’t you have works to do?” Jun asked, continuing his steps towards the lobby.

“Sho-kun doesn’t mind my absence from the gallery,” Ohno replied, grinning.

Jun heaved a deep breath; it would be a waste of time to tell this man to leave so he let Ohno tail behind him as he walked towards the doctor’s room. 

The doctor still examined another patient when Jun arrived, a young nurse gestured him to sit down and wait for a moment. Ohno sat beside him and looked at the wall across from them with the utmost interest.

“Is the painting I wanted to buy still remain unsold?” Jun asked to break the ice.

“Sho-kun has kept it for you,” Ohno replied.

“Do you know why the artist doesn’t show up in public? I mean his art works is acknowledged by many people and I’m sure that I’m not the only one who wants him to hold an exhibition,” Jun turned at Ohno.

The man looked at the ceiling and thought for a while before answering. “Maybe because he doesn’t want unnecessary attention from the media or the people around him. He can’t create something original if people keep on bugging him.”

“It’s kind of a waste; he could have gone to international exhibition with his talent.”

Ohno chuckled and mumbled something like sometimes arts are good enough to be kept for yourself. It wasn’t clearly spoken, so Jun could tell that Ohno was talking to himself.

They fell to an odd silence; Jun looked at the busy nurses who walked back and forth to do their job. He turned at Ohno who sat closely on his left side and their gaze met. The man’s eyes were looking through him as he said.

“Your eyes are beautiful, you shouldn’t wear glasses.”

Jun couldn’t help himself from blushing as he heard the compliment; he had heard the same compliment for many times before this. The flirting customers always tried to steal his attention every now and then. But none of them gave an impact like Ohno’s words which were spoken with casual tone, yet it carried a deep meaning.

The nurse approached him and told him that the doctor was ready; Jun was glad that he could escape from Ohno for a while. He stood up and followed the nurse to the doctor’s room.

Ohno was still there when Jun finished; he smiled at Jun and approached him.

“I have to go back,” Jun said. “Nino is waiting for me.”

“Do you any plans this weekend?” Ohno asked.

“I’m working,” Jun shrugged.

“Give me two hours of your time, there’s a place I want you to visit,” Ohno said.

“Where is it?”

“You’ll find out on Saturday,” Ohno replied.

Jun nodded; he usually declined such invitation, but he couldn’t do it right now. Ohno seemed too persistent and even if he turned him down, he would keep on insisting to go – just like what he did when he gave Jun the Versace shirt.

“I’ll pick you up at your shop,” Ohno said in high spirit as Jun agreed.

Jun went back to his shop and spent five minutes in the restroom just to look at his own eyes. Ohno’s compliment had aroused something in him; all of a sudden, he wanted to hear it again.

“J, are you alright?” Nino called while knocking the restroom door.

He wore his glasses and opened the door. “I’m fine, Nino. Can I leave two hours after lunch time on Saturday?”

“What is it? A date?” Nino asked, smiling amusingly.

“No,” Jun shook his head. “I have no time for such thing.”

Nino’s lips curved in a weak smile and returned to the kitchen. Jun followed him and poured himself a cup of coffee. He listened to Nino and Aiba who talked about the World Cup match the night before.

The rain poured outside the window, sending a pleasant chill to the room. Summer had just begun, which only meant one thing for their coffee shop: adding the cold brew in their menu book.

Jun’s eyes moved to the paintings on the wall; he never get bored looking at them. It felt like looking into the mysterious smile of Monalisa. The more he looked at them, the more curious he had become. He wondered what kind of person painted these masterpieces; why didn’t he/she consider for an exhibition. He was sure that the artist would line up with the other well-known painters in Japan, or perhaps owned a private museum like Yayoi Kusama.

***

Jun found himself anxious on Saturday morning. He made sure that he shaved properly; he checked his reflection longer than usual and he spent almost half an hour to decide what to wear. He always took a good care of his appearance and it was kind of surprising how the meeting with Ohno that day concerned him to no end. He laughed at himself as he remembered that Ohno was a kind of person who didn’t mind wearing a worn-out T-shirt, he wouldn’t pay attention on Jun’s outfit after all.

He glanced every five minutes to the clock on the wall which gained a suspicious gaze from Nino.

“Is there something interesting in that clock?” Nino asked.

Jun raised his brows at the sarcastic question and gave no answer. When Ohno appeared in front of their shop, Nino finally understood. He wished Jun a good day with an amused face as if he had just win a bid.

Ohno wore a presentable outfit this time, even though they were still low by Jun’s standard.

“You look gorgeous,” Ohno said as the replacement of greeting.

“Thanks,” Jun replied, hoping that his face wasn’t heating up. “Two hours, like you said. Nino doesn’t tolerate more than that,” he added. Of course, he lied, Nino doesn’t mind at all. Jun knew that Nino and Aiba were speculating behind the door about him and Ohno.

“Sure, should I call a cab?” Ohno asked.

“No, let’s just go by train, my toe is healing and maybe it’s good for me to stretch the weakened muscle after resting for some times,” Jun replied.

“Okay,” Ohno nodded, letting Jun lead the way towards Ikebukuro station.

Ohno remained standing on the train right in front of Jun’s seat as if protecting him from the other passengers; he still hadn’t told Jun where they would go. They changed train at Ebisu Station and continued their trip towards Hiro-o Station. Ohno finally handed Jun a ticket when they were already outside the station.

“Kaikai Kiki Gallery,” Jun read the ticket and looked at Ohno whose lips curved in smile.

“I want to enjoy the artworks with you,” Ohno said.

“I’m not that knowledgeable about arts,” Jun replied, walking beside Ohno who he just realized was far shorter than him. “By the way, why Sakurai-san permits you to leave the gallery every now and then. Don’t you have work to do?”

Ohno stopped and turned at Jun, “I just need to decorate the gallery for the opening, so technically I’ve finished my work.”

Jun wasn’t convinced; but decided not to ask any further. They continued walking towards the gallery in silence, sometimes, Ohno turned at him to make sure that Jun was still there. It was Jun’s third time to meet Ohno, but it felt that he had known the man longer than that. There was something familiar in this guy, but Jun couldn’t guess what it was.

They entered the gallery which displayed artworks by James Jean. The colorful paintings with typical beautiful patterns welcomed them. Both of them spent 15 to 20 minutes on each painting and when they reached the last work, three hours had passed. None of them mentioned that they spent longer than planned. When Ohno invited Jun for a cup of tea at the café inside the gallery, he immediately agreed.

It had been ages since Jun spent time with someone on weekend. He usually worked harder on Saturday and denied Nino’s idea that he needed some vacation once in a while. Now, he found himself sitting across of the man who broke his toe, a man who couldn’t even dressed himself properly.

“Thanks for coming with me,” Ohno said.

“Don’t mention it, I enjoy it a lot, so I’m the one who must thank you,” Jun replied. He looked at Ohno’s suntanned face which surprisingly didn’t make the man less attractive. Ohno probably wasn’t the most fashionable guy, but Jun found his smile was lovely, a kind of unforgettable smile that Jun liked.

“Would you visit our gallery again?” Ohno asked.

“Sure,” Jun answered. “But I hope no one will break my bones next time.”

Ohno laughed; a kind of laughter which left a deep impression inside Jun’s heart. He went home with high spirit and couldn’t wait to see Ohno again, but the guy wasn’t at the Free Style Gallery when Jun visited there the following week. Sakurai only said that Ohno went to Nagano’s gallery, but didn’t inform him when the man would be back.

“This is a gift, you don’t need to pay for this,” Sakurai said, handing Jun the painting he had wanted to purchase.

“Wait, you said that you would give me discount, not for free,” Jun said, looking at the painting with disbelief.

“The owner wants you to have it.”

“The owner never meets me,” Jun said, looking at Sakurai whose lips curved in a weak smile.

“Just take it, he will fire me if I fail to persuade you,” Sakurai said with light tone.

The painting decorated the shop’s wall and that was the first time Nino didn’t voice his protest. On the contrary, he praised Jun’s choice and said that the painting perfectly suited the summer.

Jun didn’t hear from Ohno for the next two weeks; he didn’t have Ohno’s phone number. He should have asked Sakurai, but he didn’t want to give an impression that he had some kind of attachment with the man. Nino had already teased him on daily basis that he and Ohno would make a sweet couple.

“A perfect combination, J. You can teach him how to dress,” Nino said while laughing.

At first, Jun thought that it was a stupid idea if he and Ohno really became a couple. They were too different in term of personality and in fashion sense. Imagining himself walk hand in hand with Ohno was amusing. But after two weeks without hearing anything from the man, Jun found that he missed Ohno’s presence. Not that he knew the man that much, but he realized that Ohno could keep him calm and relax. A strange thought, but it was what happened.

Ohno finally returned to Tokyo in the middle of August. He visited the shop on Thursday night with some souvenirs for Jun, Nino, and Aiba.

“J missed you so much, Ohno-san,” Nino said as he put the cup in front of Ohno.

“You don’t need to embarrass me like that, Nino,” Jun replied, avoiding Ohno’s gaze.

“Did you really miss me?” Ohno confirmed when Nino disappeared to the kitchen.

“At some point,” Jun admitted.

“I’m glad,” Ohno said after a series of silence. “Nobody missed before, you’re the first.”

“Liar,” Jun replied. He knew that Ohno was flirting with him, but he found it cute. “Give me your number this time, so I can text you next time when you’re away.”

“I don’t use smartphone,” Ohno replied.

Jun needed a couple of seconds before he finally digested what Ohno meant. “What are you using? A telegraph machines?” he rolled his eyes.

Ohno seemed not affected by Jun’s reaction. He reached his cup and gave his coffee another sip before answering.

“You can always find me in the gallery, it’s not that far away,” Ohno shrugged. He appeared not to understand why Jun was so amused by the fact that he didn’t use any smartphones. “Or I can come by every day, so you can always see me.”

“That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard,” Jun replied, even though he didn’t mind if he had to visit the gallery three times a week. The thought was indeed confused him; since when he felt attached to Ohno? The last person on his list that he could befriend with. But Jun couldn’t deny the fact that he loved their casual conversation, the way Ohno talked or the way he listened to Jun.

For the rest two months, both of them met on a regular basis and it was always Jun who decided where and when they met. Sometimes, they met at Free Style Gallery; Ohno and Sakurai had made a little space at the back of the gallery where they could take a rest and drink some coffee. Sometimes, Ohno visited Jun at his shop after the closing time where they could talk without any disturbance.

Nino always asked whether they were dating and Jun’s answer was always the same: “No, we’re just friends, he happens to know a lot about arts so I enjoy talking to him.”

“What if he says he loves you?” Nino asked, when they cleaned the tables before opening their shop.

“I’ll say thanks,” Jun replied.

Nino snorted. Jun knew that Nino and Aiba made progress in their relationship, he even found them holding hands during one of the lunch breaks, but he pretended not realizing it. Nino sometimes liked to keep things to himself.

***

It was Jun’s nth visit to Free Style Gallery when he found it was closed. He hesitated for a while and was on his way back when Ohno called him.

“Jun-kun.”

Jun turned at him and saw Ohno was in spectacular mess; his white T-shirt was full of dirt which looked like a splash from water colors. The towel he wrapped around his head was not even better.

“Come in, we’re closed, but you can always visit,” he said, grinning at Jun as if felt sorry for his mess.

Jun followed Ohno’s steps and walked through the dark gallery towards the room in the back.

“Why are you closing?” Jun asked.

“Sho-kun is not here, I can’t do his job, so we’re closed for two days,” Ohno replied, gesturing Jun to sit down meanwhile he disappeared to another room and returned five minutes later without any explanations.

“You’re so messy,” Jun commented.

“Sorry, I was moving some supply of pastels and water colors, some of them must have splashed everywhere when I accidently dropped them.”

Ohno avoided Jun’s eyes as he spoke and busied himself by pouring a glass of coffee for Jun.

“It’s not as delicious as your coffee, though,” Ohno mumbled.

Jun chuckled and carefully took the cup from the tray. Ohno sat down across from him with a strange expression, as if he wanted to say something very important.

“Am I disturbing something?” Jun asked.

“No,” Ohno shook his head. “I’m glad you came.”

Ohno seemed restless, but he tried to act normally and when Jun said that he needed to go, the man grabbed his wrist. It was the first physical contact Jun had with Ohno after the incident three months ago. He had just realized that Ohno was stronger than he looked; his grip around Jun’s wrist proved it.

“Ohno-san?” Jun looked at their hands and at Ohno’s eyes.

“Sorry,” he let go of Jun’s hand and mumbled that it was already late and Jun needed to go home.

Jun was half-way crossing the dark gallery when he felt Ohno’s hand grabbed his wrist again and pulled him closer and before he knew it, Ohno’s lips were on his. He didn’t dare to move; perhaps he had been waiting for this, because he was a coward for not be able to take an initiative, no matter how much he had wanted to kiss Ohno before this.

The time seemed to stop moving as they kissed. The crowded outside the gallery was muted, the hot temperature didn’t really matter, all Jun cared for was Ohno’s soft lips. The man broke the kiss and looked at Jun with a guilty gaze.

“Jun-kun, I’m…”

“It’s alright,” Jun said quickly, afraid of what he would hear from Ohno.

“Can we see each other again?” Ohno asked.

“What do you mean? Of course, we can. I enjoy my time with you, and…” Jun lost his words all a sudden. Ohno’s face was too serene under the dim light from the outside of the gallery.

“I’m glad,” was all Ohno said.

***

Jun didn’t hear anything from the man for the next two weeks. Sakurai had no idea where the man was, but Jun somehow knew he was lying. Jun felt betrayed after what happened that night. He was looking forward to see Ohno again, he missed the man so much and this time, he admitted openly to Nino.

The answer revealed on the third week after Ohno’s disappearance. It was Nino who brought the weekly magazine.

“Maybe you’ll find the answer here,” he said, putting the magazine in front of Jun.

He confusedly took the magazine and started flipping the pages. He finally found it; a full-page picture of Ohno. Jun didn’t recognize him immediately; Ohno looked odd in a suit. Jun continued reading the article followed:

Ohno Satoshi has been hiding his identity as the artist and the owner of Free Style Gallery. The gallery has just opened its branch in Tokyo for four months and already attract attention among art observer. Despite the anonymity of the creator, Free Style is rated as the most appealing art in 2017. The mysterious artist finally revealed his identity to the public as one of Free Style customers accidentally found him in one of the beaches in Nagano – creating the same painting style like what he saw in the gallery.

Speculation about Ohno’s identity has been rolling for some times and now his admirers should be happy, knowing that the artist is really exist. Ohno delivered a short speech on his first press conference, including his preference to stay hidden. But now, maybe it’s hard for him to stay away from the spot light, given the fact that his arts have been gaining more popularity…

Jun stopped reading; he had guessed that Ohno might be the artist. It was too fishy that he could work anytime he wanted and it was obvious that he knew too much about arts compared to ordinary people. But now, he felt there was something sharp stabbed his chest as he found out Ohno’s real identity from the media instead of the artist himself.

Jun felt that Ohno was very distance now, someone who was out of Jun’s reach. He once again looked at Ohno’s picture; his smart casual suit shaped a different image. It wasn’t a fancy outfit – only a white shirt and a black jacket – yet they showed the Ohno Jun never knew. The man with worn out T-shirt was gone, replaced by the artist with qualified talent. 

He was angry at himself; why didn’t he confirm his suspicion? Perhaps because half of him wished that Ohno wasn’t the painter he had been admiring for too long. It was such a weird coincidence that Jun met Ohno in such circumstances. He had been rejecting his feelings, he had keeping his distance with Ohno, and now, it was too late. There was no way for him to meet Ohno again.

“J?” Nino’s voice seemed so far for Jun.

“Let’s go back to work, Nino,” Jun replied, confusingly carried the magazine to the kitchen.

“Don’t you want to talk to him?” Nino asked.

“There’s nothing I can talk with him. He’s a public figure now.”

“So, what if he’s a public figure?”

Jun heaved a deep sigh, “Nino, it’s over, let’s consider that I never met him.”

Nino shook his head, but said nothing in return, he left Jun in the kitchen and let him drown in his own thoughts. Jun didn’t want to think about Ohno right now, it was a weird feeling – Ohno was just an ordinary guy in his eyes – but now, he turned to a person Jun never knew.

Jun avoided talking about Ohno with Nino and Aiba; he was glad that they cooperated by not mentioning the artist’s name in front of him. He tried hard not to take a look at Ohno’s paintings on the shop’s wall, but it was nearly impossible.

Nino half-heartedly suggested that he needed a holiday, perhaps outside of Tokyo or even overseas. But Jun wasn’t in the mood to travel, all he wanted was staying away from the thoughts of Ohno – which was clearly failed. The kiss Ohno gave him inside the dark gallery kept on appearing inside Jun’s mind and he would do anything to turn back the time, just for that particular moment.

Ohno’s muscular arms, Ohno’s innocent smile, Ohno’s random joke – they were just too beautiful to forget. He missed the artist; but he had no guts to find where he was. Jun had been turning his phone off since he read the article, he ignored Sakurai’s call to their shop (Nino was the one who picked it up).

Two weeks had passed and Jun was in a mess.

“J, you made the wrong flavor,” Nino’s voice woke him up from his day dreaming.

“Sorry, Nino. I’ll make the new one,” Jun said, taking another glass, but Nino caught his hand.

“Let me handle it.”

Jun was about to refuse, but when he saw Nino’s face, he decided to obey his friend. He loosened his apron and left the shop towards nearby park. He finally turned on his phone, thinking that maybe Sakurai had given up in giving him phone calls on Ohno’s behalf.

The sound from unopened notification welcomed Jun as he turned his phone on. Uncounted miscalled from unknown numbers was displayed on the call log screen. He checked his emails and stopped when he found a new address. Jun clicked it open and as expected, it was from Ohno. Half of him wanted to ignore it, but he read it anyway.

Jun-kun, I hope this email finds you well,

First of all, let me apologize for hiding who I really am. I didn’t mean to lie to you. I wish I could tell you before you found out from somewhere else.

I’m suck at communicating with people and always try to stay away from the spotlight as best as I could. I painted for my own pleasure, if it wasn’t for Sho-kun, I wouldn’t have published my paintings. I wasn’t looking for popularity, but the world moved the opposite way from what I planned. I’ve been hiding and avoiding people, but when I met you, I found the different side of me. You’re so easy to talk with and you laughed on my unfunny jokes. Meeting you has become something I’m looking forward to. Do you remember when I said you have pretty eyes – that was the first time for me to compliment someone.

I was afraid that if I tell you who I am, you’ll leave me. I didn’t dare to confess my feelings because I felt that I’m no good to you. You must have realized that I like you so much, more than any artworks in this world. It sounds pathetic and childish, I hate myself for being such a coward. I wish confessing is as easy as moving the brushes over the canvas.

I’ve been trying to reach you since that article came out, I’d do anything to explain everything to you. Please, give me one more chance.

I’m dying to see you again.

I’m waiting for your reply.

Satoshi

Jun read the email once again in a slower pace, catching every word Ohno had written. Somehow, the confession seemed unreal. Ohno’s sentences were straight to the point and they encouraged Jun to meet with the artist as soon as he could.

He finally realized how much he missed Ohno, no matter how hard he tried to pretend that their unnamed relationship never existed and meaningless.

Jun needed a few days to reply Ohno’s email; he just couldn’t find the right words to write. At the end, he only wrote short reply and asked where and when they could meet. Ohno didn’t reply, instead he called Jun on Thursday night, when he, Aiba and Nino had finished cleaning the shop.

He excused himself upstairs to receipt the phone call, closed the door behind him and pushed the answer button with trembling fingers.

“Jun-kun,” Ohno said, replacing the greeting.

Jun couldn’t answer, he didn’t know what to say.

“Are you there?” Ohno asked after a minute of silence.

“How are you, Ohno-san?” he finally spoke.

“I’m fine, thanks to Sho-kun. By the way, thank you for replying to my email.”

“I missed you,” Jun said. He couldn’t afford to have more chit chat with Ohno, he just wanted to meet the artist and talk face to face with him. “Tell me where and when can I meet you? I’ll go. I don’t care if you’re in the northern part of Hokkaido or in the end of the globe, I’ll go to find you.”

“Jun-kun, I’m not going anywhere. Sho-kun will pick you up and drive you to my place, if that’s okay with you.”

“You’re so unfair, I was ready to hate you and blame you…”

“I deserve it,” Ohno inhaled a deep breath. “Sho-kun will be at your shop on Sunday morning. Is that fine?”

“Okay,” Jun answered with a whisper. He felt hopeless and powerless as he heard Ohno’s voice. Since when he fell for the artist? He couldn’t tell, when he realized it, he had fallen for Ohno – even his worn-out T-shirt turned out to be lovely.

***

Sakurai picked him up at eight on Sunday morning. Jun had explained to Nino that he needed to take a day off on Sunday.

“Go, chase your charming artist,” Nino said with a wide smile as Jun mentioned his intention. “At least, I don’t need to deal with clumsy J anymore, once he’s done with his love saga.”

Sakurai told Jun how Ohno dealt with the sudden change of situation for this past month.

“He hates publication,” Sakurai said. “He has agreed to hold an exhibition next two months; but denied to appear in media for the time being because he needs to concentrate on the preparation. He likes it when people just ignore him.”

“Ohno-san said he published his paintings because of you,” Jun cited what Ohno wrote in his email.

“We’re friends since we were kids. He’s so talented and it would be a waste if he just kept those paintings for himself. He agreed to open a gallery in Nagano and it turned out to be successful. Long story short, we decided to open another branch in Tokyo,” Sakurai explained, a nostalgic expression crossed his face.

“Where is he now?” Jun asked when Sakurai entered the high way.

“Kamakura,” the man replied. “He loves the town and nobody makes a fuss about him being an artist there.”

Jun looked outside the window, to the buildings they passed by. Kamakura was only an hour and a half from Tokyo by train, yet it felt so far. Sho mentioned that Ohno needed some time to be alone for his upcoming exhibition, it meant he didn’t want any visitors – perhaps including Jun.

His thoughts must have been reflected on his face as Sakurai spoke.

“Don’t worry, he doesn’t plan to stay permanently there. Once he can handle the situation, he’ll be back to Tokyo.”

Jun nodded and managed to flash a smile to Sakurai. He admired Sakurai’s devotion to his friend; perhaps just like what Nino did to Jun.

They didn’t talk much for the rest of the trip; Jun didn’t know what he should say to Ohno – well, they didn’t officially engage in a relationship after all or maybe they did – Jun couldn’t tell.

Sakurai’s car stopped in front of a traditional Japanese house which located rather far from the main street of Kamakura town. Jun got off and followed Sakurai to the front door; he entered the house without knocking and gestured to Jun to go in.

“He’s on the back veranda, waiting for you. I’ll leave soon, there are many things I need to take care,” Sakurai said, showing the corridor towards the back veranda to Jun.

Jun stepped slowly, trying not to make any sound, but his footstep seemed too loud over the wooden floor. Ohno was sitting on the tatami; he wore a nice dark blue kimono with beige obi around his waist. His hair had grown longer compared to the last time they met. He turned around as he heard Jun’s steps; their eyes met and Jun froze.

Ohno wasn’t the same man Jun had known, he looked different – someone in the upper class. For long minutes, all Jun could do was starring to those shady eyes until Ohno broke the silent.

“It’s been a while, Jun-kun.”

Jun gulped, not knowing what to say. Ohno rose from the floor and approached him, taking Jun’s hand and gripped it. “I’m sorry,” he said.

The rush of memories flooded Jun’s mind; the time when Ohno accidentally dropped the heavy paint can over his foot. The time when they talked about arts endlessly; the time when Ohno looked deep into his eyes; the time when he kissed Jun inside the dark gallery.

Jun couldn’t find the proper words to answer the artist. He wasn’t ready for this new Ohno. He used to be a clumsy guy with worn-out T-shirts instead of an artist who wore an expensive kimono.

They looked at each other’s eyes for long enough; Jun finally gave up and averted his gaze away from Ohno.

“Did you feel sorry for lying to me and everybody else who thought that you never exsist?” Jun finally found his voice.

Ohno smiled, “I’m sorry for breaking your toe.”

Jun bit his lower lip, refraining himself from saying the things in his mind. Ohno leaned closer and kissed him; the pleasant warmth spread to his entire body as Ohno’s lips touched his. It was something Jun had been dreamed for the past month. He kissed Ohno back, pouring all of his longing through their touching lips. It felt so good that he wished the kiss never ended. 

Ohno softly pushed him to the wooden floor and he towered Jun as both of them lie down on the tatami.

“You’ll break my bones again,” Jun whispered.

“But not your heart,” Ohno replied. Their nose was touching and Jun could feel Ohno’s breaths against his skin. The talk could wait, he grabbed the collar of Ohno’s kimono and kissed the man’s lips again as if there was no tomorrow.

It was what he really wanted, the warmth of Ohno’s skin against his, the demanding kiss from the artist which was enough to make him faint.

“Would you become my date?” Ohno asked as they broke the kiss.

“I already did,” Jun replied, letting Ohno brush his hair through his fingers.

They were eager to spend the rest of Sunday by cuddling and kissing, but it could wait. They needed to talk and made clear of everything first.

Ohno had ordered lunch from nearby sushi restaurant; the menu consisted all of Jun’s favorite.

“I called Nino yesterday, asking him about your favorite food,” Ohno explained when Jun made a questioning look.

They had lunch and talked about everything afterward.

Ohno would be busy for the upcoming two months to prepare the exhibition and he told Jun that he needed to stay in Kamakura to concentrate. Jun jokingly said that he would stay there with Ohno to disturb him.

After finishing their lunch, Ohno showed the newest painting he was working on. It was a huge canvas; the painting was still far from finish, though. They returned to the back veranda while watching the maple trees which changed color. Ohno held Jun’s hand as if afraid that Jun would disappear, they kissed again, slower this time. The kiss had erased every doubt in Jun’s heart, he was in love with Ohno – so deeply.

***

Two months later

“He needs to learn public speaking,” Nino said to Jun.

They attended the opening of Ohno’s exhibition in the second week of November. The artist had just finished delivered a short speech on the first day of his art exhibition along with pers conference. Jun, Nino, and Aiba were there as honorable guests, they would be the first people on the exhibition.

“His arts have already spoken for him,” Jun replied.

Seeing Ohno on stage in another kimono had made Jun’s heart flutter to no end. He was so proud to watch the man he loved finally able to share his arts openly to the world. He waited on the backstage instead of following Nino and Aiba to the exhibition hall.

“Great work, Ohno-sensei,” Jun said when Ohno climbed down the stairs.

“Thanks,” Ohno smiled. “But I still need to learn how to handle my nervousness in public.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Jun approached the man and grabbed his hand.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet,” Ohno said, leading the way.

“Wait, how about the exhibition?”

“They’re here to see my artworks, not me,” Ohno said, guiding Jun to the exit of the hall, towards the parking area where Sakurai was waiting.

“Have fun,” Sakurai said, throwing the car key to Ohno.

“Thanks, Sho-kun.”

“You’ve planned it, I can’t believe it, sensei,” Jun chuckled, but there was no way to complain.

“Be my guest,” Ohno said, gesturing to Jun to get it. They left the exhibition hall towards the place where they could be alone, to the place where Ohno was just an ordinary man, the place where Jun could own Ohno for himself.

END

a.n : It’s been a year since I wrote my last Juntoshi fic. Actually, I only planned to write a short one shot this time, but it turned out a little bit longer. I hope you still enjoy this piece of Jun/Ohno saga.


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